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Irish surname

Moore: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Mórdha; de Móra · Ó Mórdha: 'descendant of Mórdha' (majestic); de Móra: 'at the moor or heath'

Moore was the 20th most common surname in Ireland in Matheson's 1890 survey, with about 17,700 people, and was most numerous in Ulster. It is not only a Gaelic name. Woulfe (1923) gives Moore both as an anglicised form of Ó Mórdha (O'More), chiefs of Leix, and of de Móra, an Anglo-Norman name from Middle English 'atte Mor' (at the moor). He says the two cannot be told apart.

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Coat of arms associated with the Moore surname
Irish formÓ Mórdha; de Móra
MeaningÓ Mórdha: 'descendant of Mórdha' (majestic); de Móra: 'at the moor or heath'
CountiesLaois, Kerry, Antrim, Dublin
Other spellings7

Origin of the Moore name

Two sources, per Woulfe. Ó Mórdha: a Leinster family, chiefs of Leix, whose chief fortress was Dunamase, near Maryborough. De Móra: from Norman 'de la More', Middle English 'atte Mor', i.e. at the moor or heath; an old Anglo-Norman surname in Ireland, still found in parts of Munster and Connacht. Their anglicised forms 'cannot be distinguished'.[1][2]

  1. 1576Rury Oge O'More, with Brian O'Conor, raids large parts of Leinster.[3]
  2. 1579Death of Rury Oge O'More, noted by the Four Masters.[3]
  3. 1609The remnant of the O'More clan is transplanted to Kerry.[1]
  4. 1641Roger More, of the O'Mores of Leix, helps organise the rising.[4]
  5. 1643Charles Moore, Viscount Drogheda, killed at Portlester ford; Roger More dies.[4][5]
  6. 1779Poet Thomas Moore born at 12 Aungier Street, Dublin, 28 May.[6]
  7. 1890Moore is 20th of Ireland's principal surnames, about 17,700 people.[7]

Where in Ireland

Co. LaoisÓ Mórdha were chiefs of Leix, in Queen's County (Laois); chief fortress at Dunamase, near Maryborough.[1][9]
Co. KerryIn 1609 the remnant of the O'More clan was transplanted to Kerry, near Tarbert.[1]
Co. AntrimMost 1890 birth entries (93); Ulster had 185 of Ireland's 396 Moore entries.[8]
Co. DublinSecond of the counties where Matheson found Moore principally in 1890.[8]
Co. LondonderryThird of the counties where Matheson found Moore principally in 1890.[8]

Notable people named Moore

Rury Oge O'Mored. 1579Chieftain who waged almost incessant war on the English settlers in Leix and Offaly.[3]
Roger Mored. 1643Descended from the O'Mores of Leix; a leader of the 1641 rising; died at Kilkenny in 1643.[4]
Charles Moore, Viscount Drogheda1603–1643Descended from Sir Edward Moore, a soldier of fortune who 'came over in Elizabeth's reign'; held Mellifont; fell fighting the Irish, 1643.[5]
Thomas Moore1779–1852Dublin-born poet; wrote the Irish Melodies, issued in ten numbers between 1807 and 1834.[6]

Other spellings

O'More · O'Moore · More · Morey · O Mora · O Morey · de Mora[1]

The Moore coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Moore surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Moore crest gifts

Clan Moore Coat Of Arms Mooresfort Irelandarms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap CL94 Moore Coat Of Arms Mooresfort Irelandarms Irish Cap Moore Coat Of Arms Mooresfort Irelandarms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Omore Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap EQ96 Omore Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Omore Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Omore Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapEL30 Classic Cap - Omore Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Omore Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Moore Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapVL78 Classic Cap - Moore Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Moore Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Moore Coat Of Arms Mooresfort Irelandarms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapPD27 Classic Cap - Moore Coat Of Arms Mooresfort Irelandarms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Moore Coat Of Arms Mooresfort Irelandarms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Moore surname: questions

Is Moore an Irish or an English surname?

It can be either. Woulfe gives Moore as an anglicised form of the Gaelic Ó Mórdha (O'More of Leix), and also of de Móra, from Norman 'de la More' and Middle English 'atte Mor', an old Anglo-Norman surname in Ireland; he says their anglicised forms cannot be distinguished. Other Moores came later: Webb says the Viscounts Drogheda descend from Sir Edward Moore, a soldier of fortune who 'came over in Elizabeth's reign'.[1][2][5]

What does the surname Moore mean?

For Ó Mórdha, Woulfe gives 'descendant of Mórdha' (majestic). For de Móra he gives 'at the moor or heath, from residence thereby'.[1][2]

Are Moore and O'More the same name?

Sometimes. Woulfe lists O'More, O'Moore, More and Moore among the anglicised forms of Ó Mórdha, the chiefs of Leix. But Moore is also a form of the Anglo-Norman de Móra.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Moore name found?

The O'Mores were chiefs of Leix, and the remnant of the clan was moved to Kerry in 1609. In the 1890 Births Index every county had Moores, principally Antrim, Dublin, Londonderry, Cork, Kildare and Tyrone.[1][8]

How common is Moore in Ireland?

In Matheson's 1890 survey Moore was 20th of the hundred principal surnames, with an estimated 17,700 people.[7]

Sources

  1. Ó Mórdha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-mordha.php
  2. De Móra — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/d/de-mora.php
  3. O'More, Rury Oge — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RuryOgeOMore.php
  4. More, Roger — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RogerMore.php
  5. Moore, Charles, Viscount Drogheda — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/CharlesMooreViscountDrogheda.php
  6. Moore, Thomas — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ThomasMoore.php
  7. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  8. Moore — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/moore.php
  9. Queen's County (Laois) — Atlas and Cyclopedia of Ireland (1900), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/Atlas/Queens.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).